NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING

In partnership with the University of California at Irvine, IDA is conducting an Australian replication of a 2002 large-scale survey of Americans' responses to the September 11th attacks (Silver, Holman, McIntosh, Poulin, & Gil-Rivas, 2002). This research project is seeking to establish a general baseline of mental well-being in Australia. This research serves two goals: first, by collecting information about the general state of mental well-being in Australia, we gain information about how demographic factors, mental and physical health history, lifetime exposure to stressful events and coping strategies used by people might predict psychological outcomes over time. Second, by conducting this research now rather than after a major terror attack or natural disaster, we will be able to establish a baseline for the mental health and well-being of Australians that will allow us to more accurately track the negative effect of any future terror attack or natural disaster. This will enable researchers and therapists to develop a better understanding of the impact of such events, increase knowledge about what life history and coping style or personality factors might mediate the negative impact of such events, and contribute to the development of interventions to reduce their effects.

IDA has conducted an initial survey of a national probability sample of 1200 adults, and will be conducting followup surveys at 6 and 12 months. If an attack or natural disaster should occur in that time, surveys will be conducted to followup on the impact of these events.